It’s love that makes a family
A campaign with love and acceptance at its heart, fighting for the rights that same-sex families in Greece clearly ought to enjoy. Launched by Onassis Stegi and Rainbow Families Greece, in the context of Athens Pride.
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And finally, something changed.
February 15, 2024, made history as the day when the rights of same-sex couples to marriage and parenthood were established. For the first time, the LGBTQ+ community is visible under the law, equal in rights. The Stegi (Onassis Cultural Center) celebrated with pride, as an active part of the change. This year, the campaign "Love Makes a Family" expands to include everyone. With love, we achieved a lot. Let's bring love outside too.
Open the doors. Let love out.
What is it that “makes” a family? People living under the same roof? Or is it a country’s current legislation? Why does the nuclear family continue to be considered “core” to Greek society? Is parenthood important for LGBTQI+ people? And if so, why don’t same-sex couple families today enjoy the same rights as opposite-sex couple families do?
Same-sex families in Greece, in the year 2022, are without legal protection. At a time when legislative frameworks have been put in place across a large proportion of Europe and the rest of the world, fully recognizing the rights of same-sex couples to marry and adopt, joint parenthood involving persons of the same sex is not yet recognized in Greece. In practice, this means that the second, non-biological parent is “invisible” in the eyes of the law.
Onassis Stegi is joining forces with Rainbow Families Greece to help make family ties legally binding. Because love, in and of itself, has the power to shake things up and make people reconsider, to overcome obstacles and bring about change. Because it’s love that makes a family.
Come tomorrow, I want all families everywhere to have equal rights – at home, and out in the world.
Onassis Stegi stands with the LGBTQI+ community through action and initiatives undertaken both in Athens and around the world. In 2015, we came out in support of Athens Pride for the first time. Since then we’ve been #parousa (present in the feminine) each year, thrilled to see ever-growing numbers of people taking part – last year, there were more than 80,000 of us there. Many voices together are louder, and they are heard.
In 2020, Onassis Stegi joined forces with Technopolis City of Athens, Google, and Athens Pride to help make Athens a city open to all. Together, we launched the Athens Home for All initiative, spreading a message of acceptance and love across the entire city.
If the rights of an LGBTQI+ parent have not been recognized, what can’t they do for their child?
They cannot take them for their first vaccination. Or be with them in the hospital.
They cannot become the child’s primary guardian in the event their legally recognized parent passes away.
They cannot take any major decision to give their child a better future.
They cannot pick their child up from school.
What does a legally unrecognized LGBTQI+ parent still do for their child?
Love them unconditionally. Give them their everything.
Cook them their favorite meal. Teach them to embrace difference.
Be there for them, always.
The Netherlands in 2001, and Belgium in 2003 legalized same-sex marriage and, since all married couples have the right to adopt, married same-sex couples also gained this right.
In 2005, Spain – a Catholic-majority country – took the same legislative decision, as did Canada.
In 2009, Norway and Sweden legalized same-sex marriage, having already introduced same-sex couple adoption in 2002 and 2003 respectively.
In 2010, Portugal legalized same-sex marriage and allowed same-sex couples to adopt soon after, as did Argentina, which became the first country in Latin America to introduce legislation allowing same-sex couples to marry. Denmark soon followed the example set by Portugal, as did France and Brazil in 2013.
Between 2013 and 2019, the legalization of same-sex marriage spread across the United Kingdom, passing in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
In 2015, Finland followed in the footsteps of its fellow Scandinavian countries mentioned above, and same-sex marriage and adoption were also legalized in Luxembourg and Ireland that same year.
On June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that the country’s Constitution guarantees marriage rights to same-sex couples. This decision proved pivotal for the legalization of same-sex marriage in a number of States across America.
Marriage and adoption rights, irrespective of gender and sexual orientation, passed into law in Germany, Malta, and Australia in 2017, and most recently in Switzerland, in 2020.
On May 26, 2022, Croatia’s High Administrative Court ruled that – taking into account the position of the European Court of Human Rights – the different treatment of persons in similar situations based exclusively on their sexual orientation represents a form of discrimination.
While same-sex marriage and adoption now constitute inalienable rights across a majority of Western Europe, as well as in the United States, Canada, Australia, and six countries in Central and Latin America, joint parenthood involving persons of the same sex has yet to be recognized in Greece. A child may live with and be raised by their two parents, but the Greek state legally recognizes only their biological parent. In legal terms, the second parent has no rights or protections with regard to their child.
We dream of a world where children can keep their parents by their side in every instance – without the need to fight for rights they clearly ought to enjoy. A world where parents continue to be parents once they step outside their homes. A world that’s one big family for us all.
Concept: Nikos Athanasopoulos
Director: Marina Danezi
Campaign Manager: Daniel Vergiadis
Screenplay: Elizampetta Ilia-Georgiadou, Evangelia Kolaiti
Director of Photography: Konstantinos Koukoulios
Editor: Pantelis Liakopoulos
Production Manager: Tassos Koronakis
Colorist: Angelos Mantzios – MetaPost
Sound Design: Bounce Music
1st DoP Assistant: Stamatis Kouros
2nd DoP Assistant: Dimitris Kapnoulas
Gaffer: Damianos Timnios
Best Boy Electric: Konstantinos Lomvardas
Art Director: Maira Voultsou
Make-up Artist: Niki Ovakoglou
Head of Production Assistant: Nina Efstathiadou
Production Assistant: Maria Kontopidi
Transportations: Giorgos Chasiotis
Van Rental: Kostas Alexopoulos
Equipment Rental: Cekta, DK Rental House
Lighting Equipment: Bright & Vision
Starring: Kostas Vogiatzoglou, Giorgos Zoumpakis and Emily Christopoulou
Voice-over: Jasmin Papadimitriou
Featuring also: Thanasis Athanasiadis, Tassos Kampouris, Dimitris Karavas, Stella Bellou, Thomas Florou, Stelios Christopoulos, Elena Choremi, Daniel Vergiadis, Elizampetta Ilia-Georgiadou, Evangelia Kolaiti
And our little friends: Maria Yeboah, Maya Kampouri, Myrto Kampouri, Anna Karadimatraki, Dimitra Karadimitraki, Ioli-Georgia Moudilou, Katerina Fysaki
Portrait: Nikos Kokkas
Director of Culture: Afroditi Panagiotakou
Deputy Director of Culture: Dimitris Theodoropoulos
PR Executive: Alexandra Chrysanthakopoulou
Communication & Content Department
Group Communication & Content Manager: Demetres Drivas
Content Leader: Alexandros Roukoutakis
Campaign Manager: Daniel Vergiadis
Commercial Manager: Nikos Rossolatos
Media Office: Vasso Vassilatou, Katerina Tamvaki, Nefeli Tsartaklea-Kasselaki
Social Media: Vassilis Bibas, Sylvia Kouveli, Alexandra Sarantopoulou
Social Media Performance Specialist: Giorgos Athanasiou
Copywriters: Elizampetta Ilia-Georgiadou, Evangelia Kolaiti
Creative Studio: Georgia Leontara, Theodoros Koveos, Konstantinos Chaidalis
Audience & Client Development Coordinator: Dimitra Pappa
Website Editor: Despoina Kalyvi
